Transnet has placed the Cape Town Container Terminal on high alert to manage an anticipated uptick in fruit exports, serving as a vital conduit for Western Cape growers to global buyers, according to Transnet’s operational update. This preparation coincides with projections of a three per cent rise in deciduous fruit shipments, encompassing table grapes, pomegranates, stone fruits, berries, apples, and pears, spanning November 2025 to March 2026.
Western Cape Terminals managing executive Oscar Borchards conveyed optimism for the forthcoming season, attributing it to recent acquisitions of advanced machinery designed to withstand persistent wind challenges that have historically hampered activities. These enhancements form part of a broader commitment to cutting-edge equipment, rigorous upkeep, streamlined workflows, and robust workforce strategies across Transnet Port Terminals, the entity’s operational arm.
In the 2025/2026 fiscal year, Transnet Port Terminals has earmarked R4 billion for upgrades across five facilities in KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape, and the Eastern Cape, aiming to elevate throughput and reliability amid South Africa’s R100 billion annual agricultural export sector, where fruits contribute over twenty per cent, as reported by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development.
To bolster performance at the Cape Town Container Terminal, twenty-eight new rubber-tyred gantry cranes have been deployed, with nine already functional, a further nine nearing commissioning completion, and the remaining ten in assembly. These units incorporate anti-sway mechanisms and hybrid diesel-electric engines, enhancing precision and sustainability.
Contingency protocols have been established to navigate windy conditions, including vigilant oversight of truck scheduling systems; appointments are nullified if halts exceed four hours. The terminal will adopt phased stacking for imports and exports, separating refrigerated units, empties, and full containers to optimise flow.
Collaboration between the Cape Town Container Terminal and the adjacent multipurpose facility will alleviate peak-season pressures, diverting smaller vessels to the latter to avert bottlenecks. The bulk of export deciduous fruits originates from the Western Cape, supplemented by minor volumes from the Northern Cape routed through these hubs.
This initiative aligns with Transnet’s recovery blueprint, targeting a twenty-three per cent infrastructure spend increase to R23.4 billion in 2025/2026, following years of port inefficiencies that cost exporters R50 billion in delays during 2023 alone, according to the Western Cape Government. With South Africa ranking as the world’s second-largest citrus exporter and fruits generating R60 billion in foreign earnings yearly, these measures promise to fortify supply chains and economic contributions from the sector.